SITA Eyes Post-COVID Airline Industry with Two New Executive Appointments

SITA has made some changes at the executive level. David Lavorel is taking over as the new head of SITA at Airports and Borders, while Sébastien Fabre will serve as the new CEO of SITA for Aircraft. The appointments are effective as of June 1.

Both Fabre and Lavorel are internal appointments rather than new hires. Fabre formerly served as SITA’s Airline & Airports Portfolio VP, while Lavorel previously held Fabre’s new position as the CEO of SITA for Aircraft. Lavorel is replacing the outgoing Matthys Serfontein, who is retiring after 13 years with the company.

Lavorel and Fabre will be expected to oversee SITA’s transition to a post-pandemic travel industry. COVID-19 will force many airports to change their passenger processing procedures, and Lavorel will be trying to help them implement safe, streamlined solutions for travelers and employees. Fabre, meanwhile, will be working with airlines to leverage connected aircraft to improve turnaround times and make their operations more efficient.

“Ensuring strong leadership of our key business areas is especially important as we look to support the industry as it begins to return to the skies,” said SITA CEO Barbara Dalibard. “After more than a decade proving themselves, Sébastien and David are perfectly placed to steer the business through new challenges and deliver solutions that support the industry’s recovery.”

Before the onset of COVID-19, SITA predicted that self-screening technology would become much more common at international airports in the coming years. The pandemic could accelerate that trend, since self-screening solutions with biometric capabilities would reduce the need for physical contact while still offering a high level of security.

Several major airports have already launched trials of SITA’s Smart Path solution, which helped drive the company to a record $1.7 billion in revenues in 2018.

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June 4, 2020 – by Eric Weiss